Systems and methods for security state optimization of SPDM-enabled devices

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes a plurality of Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled devices conforming to a SPDM specification, and instructions stored in a memory and executable by a processor to communicate with the SPDM-enabled devices to derive a trust score for each of the SPDM-enabled devices, and perform one or more optimization actions to optimize an overall security state of the IHS.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
 a plurality of Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled devices conforming to a SPDM specification; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution, cause the IHS to:
 communicate out-of-band with each SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices before launching an Operating System (OS) to boot the IHS from at least one SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, to derive a trust score for each of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, based at least in part on performing an attestation process using a Root-of-Trust (ROT) accessible to the IHS, the attestation process comprising issuing an authentication challenge to and receiving an authentication response from each of the SPDM-enabled devices; 
 determine, before booting the IHS and based at least in part on the authentication response and the RoT, whether any SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices failed the authentication challenge; 
 determine, before booting the IHS and based at least in part on a boot order configuration in a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) configured in the IHS, whether the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge; 
 in response to a determination that the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge, select another SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that succeeded the authentication challenge, and permit the IHS to boot from the selected SPDM-enabled device; and 
 perform one or more optimization actions to optimize an overall security state of the IHS. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The IHS of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to perform the one or more optimization actions by:
 deriving an overall trust score for the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that are configured in a server; 
 obtaining configuration information associated with each of the SPDM-enabled devices; 
 sending the configuration information to an online optimization service, wherein the online service is configured to identify one or more recommendations for changing a configuration of at least one of the SPDM-enabled devices to optimize the overall trust score of the server; 
 receiving the one or more recommendations from the online optimization service; and 
 presenting the one or more recommendations to a user of the IHS. 
 
     
     
       3. The IHS of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices are configured in a plurality of servers comprising a cluster, the overall trust score comprising a metric value associated with a security state level of the cluster. 
     
     
       4. The IHS of  claim 3 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to:
 generate a benchmark trust score comprising a metric value attributed to an optimal configuration of the SPDM-enabled devices in the cluster; and 
 present the generated benchmark trust score and the overall trust score for consumption by the user. 
 
     
     
       5. The IHS of  claim 2 , wherein the overall trust score is based at least in part, on a firmware version of one SPDM-enabled device relative to a firmware version of a second SPDM-enabled device, or on a software version of one respective SPDM-enabled device relative to a software version of a second respective SPDM-enabled device. 
     
     
       6. The IHS of  claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to perform the attestation process when the IHS is in a S5 state. 
     
     
       7. The IHS of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) configured to perform the attestation process; and 
 a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) configured to inhibit the IHS from being booted with the one SPDM-enabled device that failed the attestation process. 
 
     
     
       8. The IHS of  claim 7 , wherein the BMC communicates with the BIOS using a Keyboard Controller Style (KCS) channel. 
     
     
       9. The IHS of  claim 1 , wherein at least one SPDM-enabled device that failed the attestation process is configured to perform at least one function associated with a bootstrapping process of the IHS. 
     
     
       10. A security state optimization method comprising:
 communicating out-of-band with a plurality of Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled devices before launching an Operating System (OS) to boot an Information Handling System (IHS) from at least one SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, to derive a trust score for each of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, based at least in part on performing an attestation process using a Root-of-Trust (ROT) accessible to the IHS, the attestation process comprising issuing an authentication challenge to and receiving an authentication response from each of the SPDM-enabled devices;
 determining, before launching the OS and based at least in part on the authentication response and the ROT, whether any SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices failed the authentication challenge; 
 determining, before launching the OS and based at least in part on a boot order configuration in a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) configured in the IHS, whether the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge; and 
 in response to a determination that the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge, select another SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that succeeded the authentication challenge, and permit the IHS to boot based on launching the OS from the selected SPDM-enabled device; and 
 
 performing one or more optimization actions to optimize an overall security state of the IHS. 
 
     
     
       11. The security state optimization method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 deriving an overall trust score for the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that are configured in a server; 
 obtaining configuration information associated with each of the SPDM-enabled devices; 
 sending the configuration information to an online optimization service, wherein the online optimization service is configured to identify one or more recommendations for changing a configuration of at least one of the SPDM-enabled devices to optimize the overall trust score of the server; 
 receiving the one or more recommendations from the online optimization service; and 
 presenting the one or more recommendations to a user of the IHS. 
 
     
     
       12. The security state optimization method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating a benchmark trust score comprising a metric value attributed to an optimal configuration of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices in a cluster comprising a plurality of servers; and 
 presenting the generated benchmark trust score and the overall trust score for consumption by the user. 
 
     
     
       13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), cause the BMC to:
 communicate out-of-band with each Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM)-enabled device of a plurality of SPDM-enabled devices configured in an Information Handling System (IHS) before launching an Operating System (OS) to boot the IHS from at least one SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, to derive a trust score for each SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices, based at least in part on performing an attestation process using a Root-of-Trust (ROT) accessible to the IHS, the attestation process comprising issuing an authentication challenge to and receiving an authentication response from each of the SPDM-enabled devices, wherein the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices conform to an SPDM specification; 
 determine, before booting the IHS and based at least in part on the authentication response and the ROT, whether any SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices failed the authentication challenge; 
 determine, before booting the IHS and based at least in part on a boot order configuration in a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) configured in the IHS, whether the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge; 
 in response to a determination that the IHS is scheduled to boot from any device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that failed the authentication challenge, select another SPDM-enabled device of the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that succeeded the authentication challenge, and permit the IHS to boot from the selected SPDM-enabled device; and 
 perform one or more optimization actions to optimize an overall security state of the IHS. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the BMC to perform the one or more optimization actions by:
 deriving an overall trust score for the plurality of SPDM-enabled devices that are configured in a server; 
 obtaining configuration information associated with each of the SPDM-enabled devices; 
 sending the configuration information to an online optimization service, wherein the online optimization service is configured to identify one or more recommendations for changing a configuration of at least one of the SPDM-enabled devices to optimize the overall trust score of the server; 
 receiving the one or more recommendations from the online optimization service; and 
 presenting the one or more recommendations to a user of the IHS. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the SPDM-enabled devices are configured in a plurality of servers comprising a cluster, the overall trust score comprising a metric value associated with a security state level of the cluster. 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to:
 generate a benchmark trust score comprising a metric value attributed to an optimal configuration of the SPDM-enabled devices in the cluster; and 
 present the generated benchmark trust score and the overall trust score for consumption by the user. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein at least one SPDM-enabled device that failed the attestation process is configured to perform at least one function associated with a bootstrapping process of the IHS.